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How It Got Started

In 2017, a group of 14 professional trainers in non-formal education in various fields, from 10 European countries, gathered around the association Magnet to form a cooperative, with the aim to make their fields of expertise available to all interested people through educational activities. My field is volunteering.

Through this blog, I want to share with as many people as possible what I have learned during the previous 15 years of exploring volunteering, professionally and personally, to nurture the culture of volunteering among people and to gather those who want to do it together with me. Because if in life we are guided by the values of volunteering, then we are people who see peace on their horizon.

O meni: About

BIOGRAPHY

profile and expertise

►international voluntary service ►nonformal education ►youth work ►project management ►work in international and national teams, working groups in the field of volunteering ►networking of civil society organisations  strategic development and work on youth and volunteering policies ►author of manuals and online courses on volunteering ►non-partisan activist for peace and responsible citizenship

Formal education

Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade, General Linguistics, 2006

WORK EXPERIENCE

 Since 2017 Founder and President of MAGNET Association and MAGNET HOUSE - Centre for Non-Formal Education, www.magnet.house

Since 2014 Freelance senior trainer of non-formal education with over 70 educational activities for: Alliance of European Voluntary Services, Tempus Foundation for Erasmus +, Young Researchers of Serbia, CCIVS, IJGD Germany, YAP Italy, and other numerous organisations across Europe

Since 2016 Quality Label Assessor for the European Solidarity Corps, licensed by SALTO SEE

2019-2020 UNICEF Serbia. Consultant on Volunteering Strategy Development, which as key elements included the analysis and improvement of the legal framework for volunteering in Serbia and the launch of the online volunteering program " Volunteers Online ", www.unicef.org/serbia

2008-2019 Coordinator of Voluntary Service of Serbia, within Young Researchers of Serbia; I managed an international and national voluntary program with over 14.000 volunteers over the years, with over 700 local voluntary activities and a network of about 100 voluntary organisations. I pioneered several good practices, like: 1) strategic and educational framework for the national youth volunteering program of the Ministry for Youth and Sport of Serbia, directed to 2000 volunteers each year; 2) informal network of 40+ voluntary organisations in the country; 3) national conferences about volunteering gathering the most prominent actors in the field from civil sector and government; 4) innovative responses to devastating flooding of 2014 in Serbia and COVID-19 pandemic. I was an initiator or collaborator in relevant governmental working groups for volunteering and youth policy and infrastructure development, recognition and networking.

2010-2016 Vice President  of the Alliance of   European   Voluntary  Organisations, www.alliance-network.euWithin the Alliance,  a network of 50 organisations from 30 countries, I was in charge of management of the networks’ capacity building projects and 6 working groups of 80+ people lead by their coordinators. More specifically, I overlooked its Strategic Approach and Plans of action and, with others, preparing and running annual general assemblies, represented the network in international committees and panel discussions. ​Skilled in large-scale project and volunteer management, coordination of large and diverse international teams.


I have developed and coordinated over 30 long term national and international projects, over 70 trainings, seminars, study visits, exchanges, as a manager or trainer, on the following topics: active citizenship, youth and leadership, volunteering policies and management of volunteers, peer education, youth mobility, cultural identity and intercultural dialogue, networking of organisations at the national and international level. I have experience in developing long-term training courses and online learning courses, mentoring and peer support programs, as well as experience as a mentor and youth worker. 

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Jelena

Ristic

Publications

► Online course “ Teamwork and cooperation in international teams of trainers in non-formal education ”, Alliance of European Voluntary Services, 2018

EU YOUTH WIKI - SERBIA CHAPTER II: VOLUNTARY ACTIVITIES , Partnership for Youth of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, 2017

Handbook for Camp Leaders "Volunteering and Social Skills" , Young Researchers of Serbia, 2014

Handbook for organizers and camp leaders of international volunteer camps , Young Researchers of Serbia, 2013

► Online courses: Types and companies of volunteering; Volunteering and development of social skills , Young researchers of Serbia, 2014,

Booklet of good and innovative practices and trends in IVS , Alliance of European Voluntary Services, 2014

Manual for Volunteer Management in the Sphere of Social Protection - Volunteer Social Service , Young Researchers of Serbia, 2011

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